Image Credit: CNN; Comedy CentralEarlier today, an audio clip of CNN’s Rick Sanchez landed online that may have just cost him his job. The clip was an interview with Sanchez on Pete Dominick’s Sirius radio show during which Sanchez – who’s been the frequent butt of Daily Show jokes – called host Jon Stewart a “bigot.” When Dominick pointed out that Stewart was Jewish and a minority himself, Sanchez dug in even deeper, saying, “I’m telling you that everybody who runs CNN is a lot like Stewart, and a lot of people who run all the other networks are a lot like Stewart, and to imply that somehow they, the people in this country who are Jewish, are an oppressed minority? Yeah.” (Listen to the audio embedded after the jump.)

Well, CNN has just responded, issuing a statement saying Sanchez “is no longer with the company. We thank Rick for his years of service and we wish him well.” What do you think – after Sanchez’s inflammatory comments, are you surprised it happened that fast? Or surprised that it took all day?